Until a prospect reveals the truth about what he or she is
thinking during the sales process, no salesperson--no matter how
good--can move in the direction of closing the sale. Maybe it's
a temporary truth, such as "It's more than we want to
pay." But for that customer, at that time, you have to take
what they say at face value.

Most salespeople cringe when the truth surfaces because it's
generally in the form of an objection. The solution to handling
objections successfully is to anticipate them in advance so you can
convert them into opportunities. If you do this, you'll find
that hearing objections won't have such an emotional impact on
you. Instead of feeling shaken, you'll feel confident that the
prospect is giving you a foundation to stand on as you chip away at
the problem.

The good news about objections is, you either overcome them or
you learn something valuable when you don't overcome them. Get
in the habit of examining every lost sale. I often write down
things I should have said that may work during the next go-around
with that customer.

2. Study human nature. Certain types of objections seem
to go with particular personalities. Conservative customers who
ponder every purchase may object to costs. Brush up on your
financial answers before meeting with them. Technically oriented
customers may ask mechanical questions. If necessary, take along a
technical person from your company on these sales calls.

One of the best books I can recommend for dealing with
objections is Neil Rackham's Spin Selling (McGraw-Hill).
Rackham treats each objection as a problem to be solved and uses a
formula to analyze objections.

4. Become a logical and clear communicator. When your
knowledge of the product is comprehensive enough to give customers
a clear understanding of your proposition, they are less likely to
object. Instead, they can weigh the pros and cons in their minds
and hopefully overcome the negatives themselves.

Six Steps To The Sale

As you deal with objections, you must remain confident through
all the ups and downs of the prospect's thinking. It took years
for me to learn not to ride the same emotional roller coaster as my
prospects. Once I noticed that all motivated prospects seemed to
show certain tendencies while making a buying decision, I
relaxed.

Customers getting ready to make a buying decision follow a
six-stage behavior pattern. Depending on the purchase, going
through all six stages can take anywhere from 15 minutes to two
years.

1. Exploration. When prospects begin researching a
product or service, they don't always recognize their exact
needs or the available options. In the early stages of the sales
process, you are the informer, enabling prospects to explore the
possibilities.

Don't get discouraged when they make negative comments. At
this point, customers are still investigating, and you must gain
their confidence by letting them feel free to make comments and
objections. By letting you see how they think, they're giving
you the insight to start overturning the foundation of objections
on which they're standing.

This is also your opportunity to start driving home a few
positive points about your product. When prospects see you
answering three or four objections with honest answers, they'll
eventually realize you know what you're talking about.

The temptation at this point is to push too hard. The solution?
Always have a good supply of prospects in your pipeline. No one
sale should ever be so important that it motivates you to push for
it this soon.

2. Slight withdrawal. Some prospects react
enthusiastically from the outset, but most refrain from showing
early excitement. They may not yet be ready to accept a particular
part of your sales talk that will influence them more effectively
later.

When you sense early withdrawal, remain positive, upbeat and
confident, realizing it may be the customer's own ignorance
that prompts him or her to say, "This seems like too much
money."

Conscientious salespeople, like conscientious lawyers, learn to
handle objections from case studies. Use the following fictitious
one--The Fly-by-Night Case Study--to help you anticipate and
overcome objections. Replace my examples with your own product or
service.

Suppose you sell "Detachable Wings" to executives who
want to fly out their office windows at a moment's notice. When
you made the first sales call, a few of the senior vice presidents
let you fly out their 19th-floor executive offices and fly back in,
causing great excitement. They all began chattering about the money
the company would save in air fares and how convenient it would be
to get to work without sitting in traffic. At the second interview,
however, the management team seems slightly withdrawn. "We
aren't really sure if we need these detachable wings right now.
We are a growing company, and perhaps we should put our money to
work by investing in something more sensible."

3. More questions and interest. As long as you keep
moving forward with an upbeat sales talk, knocking each objection
flat on its face, a customer's interest is heightened, and he
or she will start to ask you more questions. A legitimate prospect
enjoys challenging the salesperson's knowledge and
dedication.

"Will these wings last five years with no overhauls
required?"

"Did you say we can get all the senior officers' wings
at a 30 percent discount?"

Think of these as "verification questions." I used to
have to calm myself down when these questions started coming at me.
My mind was rushing ahead with thoughts like "Yippee. You did
it, kid. You sold them!"

But I learned the hard way not to jump the gun. Whenever you
count your commissions before they are cashed, you get bounced out
of the bank. Don't get excited; just respond to the
prospect's further probing with calm, confident answers.

4. Deliberate pondering and brainstorming. Now the
committee is having a pow-wow about the wings. If you're in on
it, shut up and listen. They may be getting jumpy because
they're close to making a buying decision. In that case, you
may hear meaningless comments and objections one minute and
positive acknowledgements the next. Customers are walking
contradictions when they reach this level.

"Isn't the lease on our corporate jet almost
up?"

"I hope so. I don't want that thing just sitting in the
hangar eating up corporate funds."

"Do we need a pilot's license to fly with these
things?"

"That does it. I'm not buying these wings because tests
make me a nervous wreck. After I passed the bar, I swore I'd
never take another exam."

"Do we really need these wings?"

You may be tempted to jump into the discussion. Don't. Let
the group work their way out of it themselves. If you've done
an impeccable job demonstrating features and benefits, you will get
another chance to clarify.

5. More doubt, questions and anxiety. "You told us
once, but tell us again--what happens if we break a wing?" You
must have the mental toughness to answer questions unemotionally
without knowing their outcome.

"Remember I said if you break a wing, you're equipped
with a waist pack that has two extra wings. You'll have plenty
of time prior to descent to snap one off and replace it."

You are in real trouble if you don't have a logical answer
at this point in the sales process. It may indicate to the prospect
you have a faulty product or poor product knowledge.

6. Resolving and finalizing doubt. The customers have
come full circle on their own, thanks to your expert guidance.
You'll now begin to sense the sell. There is a feeling in the
air that no stone has been left unturned.

"If we put up the money for these wings and decide within a
certain time frame that things aren't working out, can we get
our money back?"

This objection might have been covered earlier when you said,
"If after 30 days you can't get off the ground, we will
refund your money--no questions asked." But when customers are
close to a buying decision, they need one last reassurance that no
one is going to take advantage of them.

Objections are overcome by salespeople who not only possess a
deep passion for and knowledge of their product, but also have the
confidence to walk (or fly) away when necessary, allowing the
customer to make a final decision. Otherwise, the sale will never
get off the ground.

Danielle Kennedy has presented sales and marketing seminars
and keynote addresses worldwide to more than 46 different
industries. She is the author of five books on sales as well as
audio and video sales training programs. You can reach her by
writing her in care of Entrepreneur, 2445 McCabe Way,
Irvine, CA 92614.